Device attachable to item of clothing for dispensing material for enhancing gripping properties of shoe sole

ABSTRACT

A wiping device may be a friable layer or an absorbent pad made of a material that can absorb and retain a fluid composition and can be attached or is attached to an item of clothing, such as a sock, shoe, compression sleeve, etc. The device is impregnated with an adhesive-type tacky substance that is released when a shoe sole is wiped against it to clean the shoe sole and allow surface dust and debris to be removed from the shoe sole. The deposited substance also forms a film or coating that remains adhered to the surface of the shoe sole to improve traction by imparting tackiness to the shoe sole.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to Patent application Ser. No. 13/178,721filed on Jul. 8, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to sport shoe accessories or devicesand, more specifically, to a device attachable to item of clothing fordispensing material for enhancing gripping properties of shoe sole.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Many sports are played on smooth, hard surfaces, such as basketball,handball, squash, racquetball and volleyball. The floors on which thesesports are played are typically imparted a high gloss finish such aspolyurethane, that renders the floors extremely smooth and tends toreduce the traction between the shoe soles of the players and the floor.Additionally, although such floors are cleaned in efforts to make thefloors dust free, dust and other debris nevertheless accumulates on suchfloors and these contaminants tend to adhere to the bottom of shoe soleswhich are typically made of rubber products. These contaminants tend tocoat the soles filling all of the pores and decreasing the coefficientor friction between the shoes soles and the surfaces of court, reducingthe ability of players, such as basketball players, to safely make quickstops, turns or change directions. To increase traction, playersfrequently wipe their shoes on the damp towel to loosen the dirt and totry to physically dislodge these contaminants in order to restore someof the tackiness of the rubber soles. It is also common, when playerscannot leave the court during play and wipe their shoes on the damptowel, they use their saliva to moisten the surfaces of their shoesoles. Perspiration has also been used to wipe the bottoms of the soleswith the player's hands to clean the soles of their shoes and therebyimprove traction.

Devices have been used by athletes to wipe the soles of their shoes,typically in the form of fabric pads attached to the upper portions oftheir socks. Although such devices can absorb and retain moisture neededfor cleaning shoe soles, they are primarily used to absorb sweat ratherthan provide damp wiping surface for court shoes. Any attempts to addmoisture to these structures to create a shoe wiping surface would causethe moisture to soak into the socks causing the socks to becomeuncomfortably damp.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,426 a shoe sole cleaning device is disclosed thatincludes a pad assembly having an inner cushion pad enclosed in thefabric out cover that can be attached around the footwear laces or otheritem worn by a user, such as a wrist band, to enable brisk rubbing ofthe footwear soles or other surfaces across the pad assembly of thedevice to remove foreign matter from such surfaces. The device does notdepend on moisture and simply relies on the abrasive properties of theouter surface of the pad assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,106 discloses a shoe sole wiping pad that isattachable to an athletic shoe, as a removable shoe string cover,provided with an upwardly facing wiping surface of suede or othersuitable material. The patent suggests that the wiping surface to bemade of an absorbent material although it does not indicate what type ofmaterial is intended to be absorbed, possibly moisture from the shoesole that needs to be removed to render the sole less slippery.

It is also known to use sweat-band-type garments that are worn around awearer's lower leg or ankle to absorb excess moisture before it can soakinto athlete's sock and create a moist, warm environment inside theathlete's shoes. For example, an article of wearing apparel has beenproposed to be used as a moisture-absorbing pad provided with moistureabsorbent outer sleeve and a moisture barrier provided in the form of anon-moisture absorbent inner sleeve. The inner and outer sleeves areworn directly against the skin of the lower leg or ankle. The innersleeve does not isolate the outer sleeve from the wearer's leg. Instead,the outer sleeve extends upwardly beyond the upper edge of the innersleeve so that it makes contact with the wearer's skin and interceptsand absorbs sweat as it comes down from the wearer's leg.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,564 an apparatus is disclosed for cleaning a shoesole and a method for making such apparatus. The patent discloses a shoesole wiping pad that is sewn into the outer surface of athlete's sock'supper tube portion. The wiping pad is described as absorbing andretaining moisture presumably in the form of water. It has amoisture-wiping surface that is intended to remove dust and debris fromthe sole of an athletic shoe when the wearer wipes the sole across thepad. A moisture barrier isolates the wiping pad from the upper tubeportion of the sock to prevent moisture from soaking into the sock fromthe wiping pad. To use the device in accordance to the disclosure in thepatent the moisture retaining wiping pad is first attached to the uppertube portion of the sock. The player can then contact the sole of theshoe on one foot against the moisture retaining wiping pad on the otherfoot to remove the dirt and debris and improve traction between the shoeand hard playing surface. The patent also suggests removal of residualmoisture from the sole of the athletic shoe, after cleaning, by wipingthe sole across the dry portion of the sock, requiring a two-stepprocedure to avoid slipping as a result of moisture that remains on ashoe sole after brushing against the moist wiping pad. However, unlessthe second step of the procedure is implemented, the initial step ofapplying moisture to the shoe sole may actually make the soles moreslippery rather than enhance the traction on a smooth hard floorsurface.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,801 discloses a shoe sole cleaner for removingdebris from the sole of the shoe that includes a base member and aclosure strap extending from the base member. The construction allowsthe device to be secured to the shoe by means of the shoe laces toprovide an exposed surface on the base member that bears a shoe solecleaning surface. Alternatively, the shoe sole cleaner is integral tothe shoe and conforms to the profile of the shoe. The patent indicatesthat the outer covering sheet is water absorbent and evidentlycontemplates that water be injected into the device for moistening it toessentially wash off or wipe the residue on a shoe sole by having thewater soften and loosen the debris.

None of the above prior art teaches or suggests the use of a device thatcan be attached to a shoe or other item of apparel that can not onlymechanically wipe off debris by applying moisture but also impart to theshoe sole a layer or coating of a substance that provides the shoe solesurface with a requisite or desired tackiness to provide better grip ona smooth hard surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide adevice attachable to an item of clothing for cleaning of the soles ofshoes that does not have the disadvantages inherent in prior art devicesof this type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a devicein the form of a pad that is impregnated with a releasable agent thatboth softens the bottom surfaces of shoe soles when wiped against thepad and also applies a tacky layer to the surface of the shoe sole.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pad asin the previous object that is impregnated with adhesive and can beconveniently attached, for example, to the upper tubes of socks of aplayer, to shoe laces and/or compression sleeves and can release acleaning and tacky substance when wiped against the soles of shoes.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anadhesive impregnated pad that enhances the gripping properties of shoesoles that are wiped against the pads without the need of any furthersteps to remove or eliminate a residual liquid layer or coating from theshoe soles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adhesiveimpregnated pad of the type under the discussion that is inexpensive tomanufacture and is efficient and effective for cleaning bottoms of shoesoles and enhancing their gripping properties.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anadhesive impregnated pad that is easy and convenient to use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adhesiveimpregnated pad that can prolong the tackiness and gripping propertiesof shoe soles without the need of the player to leave the court and canbe used during play.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide anadhesive impregnated pad as in the previous objects that can be appliedto any garment worn during play, including socks, the uppers of theshoes, compression sleeves, sweat bands or the like.

It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide anadhesive impregnated pad that uses a mechanical as well as a chemicalapproach to increasing tackiness while enhancing the gripping propertiesof shoe soles instead of merely using a moisturizer, such as water, tophysically moisten and wipe off dirt, dust or debris.

It is a further additional object of the invention to provide a pad thatincludes a reservoir for receiving a composition that, when applied to ashoe sole, creates a film coating that prolongs the tackiness of a shoesole on a smooth hard surface by controlled activation of a compositionby means of pressure-sensitive nano-particles or controlled release ofthe composition through a semi-permeable membrane.

It is yet an additional object to provide a device that includes adetachable semi-solid layer that can be attached to an item worn by anathlete and that provides an outer surface that can transfer a film to ashoe sole that enhances the tackiness of the sole when it contacts ahard playing surface.

In order to achieve the above objects, as well as others that willbecome apparent herein, and after, device in accordance with the presentinvention may be made of a material that can absorb and retain a gripenhancing composition and can be attached or is attached to an item ofclothing, such as a sock, shoe, sleeve, etc. The pad is impregnated withan adhesive-type tacky substance that is released when a shoe sole iswiped against the pad so that the impregnated substance is transferredto the shoe sole to apply a coating or thin film layer of the gripenhancing composition to the shoe sole while allowing surface dust anddebris to be removed from the shoe sole. The substance, however, remainsadhered to the surface of the shoe sole to improve traction by impartingtackiness to the shoe sole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the improvements and advantagesthat derive from the present invention upon reading the followingdetailed description, claims, and drawings, in which:

The FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a player wearing socks with aplurality of grip enhancing pads in accordance with the inventionprovided on each of the player's socks;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a gripenhancing device in the form of a friable semi-solid layer of materialfor transferring a film or coating to a shoe sole for enhancing itstackiness on a smooth hard surface; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a gripenhancing device in the form of a pad that includes a reservoir oftackiness enhancing composition, which may be sponge or other absorbentmaterial and a semi-permeable membrane for controlled release of thecomposition when brushed or swiped against a shoe sole.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, a sock 10 is provided with aplurality of grip enhancing devices in the form of absorbent pads 12a-12 c on the upper tube of each of the socks worn by the player. Thesocks may be made of any suitable material, such as wool or a syntheticfiber. One or more of the pads may be attached to other items worn bythe player including, nut not limited to a sock, shoe, sweat bands andtight spandex compression sleeves commonly used to help keep muscleswarm and prevent injuries. The pads 12 a-12 c are secured to the outsideof the sock upper sleeves and positioned so that athlete can raisehis/her foot to make contact between the sneaker sole and the pad orpads 12 a-12 c in order to effectively wipe the shoe sole against theimpregnated pads. The sires and/or shapes of the pads 12 a-12 c and thespecific method of applying or attaching the pads to the sock 10 is notcritical and any suitable approach may be used, including the onedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,564. Other examples of known methodsfor applying accessory layers to items of clothing are disclosed in thefollowing U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,810,534; 6,401,256; 6,385,778; 6,128,801;6,115,838; 5,950,269; 5,784,721; 5,771,495; 5,603,332; 5,555,564;5,421,106; 5,421,034; 5,307,522; 4,675,915; 1,225,354 and British PatentNo. 508,478.

An important feature of the present invention is that the pads 12 a-12 cin accordance with one embodiment of the invention, for example, areimpregnated with a material that has the ability to clean and physicallyremove surface contaminants, such as dust and debris from the bottom ofshoe soles but also to impart a tackiness by leaving a thin layer orcoating of a material substance on the bottom of a shoe sole afterwiping. The tackiness enhances the gripping properties of the shoe sole.Any composition can be used for this purpose. For example, a suitablecomposition is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/162,026, which is incorporated into this application as if fully setforth herein. Thus, a coating material dispensed by a patch inaccordance with the present invention may comprise a film former; anadhesive; a tackifier; and a solvent for separating the film former,adhesive and tackifier prior to application to the shoe sole surface andcausing same to bond into a tacky film after application and evaporationof the solvent. The coating material may further include nano-sizedparticles comprising organic emulsion polymerized cross-linked polymer.The adhesive is preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) and afilm former preferably comprises a melting rosin having a melting pointselected to be within a temperature range of 65-125° F.

Examples of other substances suitable for impregnating the pads 12 a-12e are set forth in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,322,876,; 5,571,617;5,709,340; 5,508,313; 5,495,801; 5,502,108; 4,994,322; 4,080,348;3,519,585 and 3,400,421. Other materials that may be used include thefollowing products made available from Slipp-Nott Corp. located in LosAngels, Calif.: S-N Grip™ and H2Off™.

The use of the chemical substance that enhances tackiness not onlyphysically dislodges and removes dirt off the bottom of the shoe butleaves a residual layer or coating of the substance that continues toexhibit enhanced tackiness and griping properties on the shoe soles withcontinued play. The pads in accordance with the invention can beattached to a sweat band that wraps around the shin, is attached andsecured to the garment such as a sock by any suitable means, such asVELCRO® fasteners. Preferably, the pads are refillable or replaceable,so once the pad dries up or becomes depleted, it can be replaced or theliquid or semi-liquid substance can be injected or applied to the pad soto re-impregnate the pad and restore to its original youthfulness.

While the pad in accordance with the present invention has beendescribed as being applied or attached to the upper tubes of socks, itwill be evident that the pads can also be made conveniently available toplayers or users in numerous other ways including, but not limited to,by attaching the pads to laces, compression sleeves and even to theuppers of both shoes so that the pad on one shoe can be used for wipingthe other shoe.

As suggested above, the presently preferred embodiment has beendescribed in relation to as an absorbent pad that can releasably retaina composition that, when rubbed or applied to the bottom of the shoesole can leave a deposit film or coating that can enhance tackiness on asmooth hard surface. However, the present invention also contemplatesthe use of other delivery systems, with different degrees of advantage.Importantly, however, with each delivery system the net effect should bethat the user can swipe the sole of a shoe that he or she is wearingagainst the pad to remove at least part of the debris or contaminantsfrom the bottom of the shoe sole and additionally to leave a thin filmor coating that can be effective for providing enhanced and prolongedgrip or tackiness with continued play.

In one embodiment an absorbent patch or pad applied to an item ofclothing has an adhesive around its perimeter or outside edges to allowit to be attached to an item of clothing. An absorbent material in thecenter is impregnated with the desired composition, of the type, forexample, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/162,026, orsimilar material. These materials are dissolved in a low volatilitysolvent so that the composition can be dispensed over extended period oftime without drying up. The absorbent material may be covered with asemi-permeable membrane that prevents the material in the patch frombeing dispensed when not in use but allows the composition to bedispensed when swiped or rubbed against the shoe sole. Application ofalcohol that can also swell the rubber in the shoe to increasetackiness. Application of alcohol to a tacky/adhesive mixture, inaddition to its own properties, could also provide desired enhancedgripping properties and, in some cases, activate the composition whenfirst used.

As understood in the art and for for purposes of this application andthe disclosure therein, the term “moisture” is defined as involving orcontaining water in solution. Thus, a pad activated with acetone,alcohol or a solvent would not have “moisture”. Such liquid materialswould not need a “moisture” barrier to protect the wearer. The use ofalcohol and other solvents, however, when applied to a rubber sole will,as indicated, swell the rubber and this would, additionally, provideenhanced grip.

A feature of the invention is that the material absorbed in the pad doesnot contain water, which would normally moisten the dirt and debris andremove some of that by mechanically cleaning the bottom of the shoe.However, the present invention contemplates application of a coating orfilm that creates or enhances grip beyond simply cleaning off the bottomsurface of the shoe sole, without the need to be moistened. Materialssuitable for this purpose are compositions that stick better to the shoesole rather than to itself, thus materials that are adhesive rather thencohesive.

While absorbent pads 12 a-12 c are shown in a presently preferredembodiment, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that otherdelivery systems may be used, with different degrees of advantage, as tobe described below.

Turning to FIG. 2, a device in a form of a patch 14 in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention is illustrated incross-section. Here, the garment 16 is depicted as providing a surfaceto which the patch 14 may be attached. Any suitable and conventionalmethod of attachment can be used, such as stitching or adhesive. Anadhesive layer is shown that may be used to attach the patch 14 to agarment 16, such as a central adhesive layer 18, or in the alternative,a peripheral adhesive layer 20 may be used that extends about theperiphery of the patch 14. A solid or semi-solid layer 22 is supportedby the adhesive layer(s). The adhesive layers are initially protected byremovable release liner 24 that can be removed by pulling it from thelayer 22 prior to play, as suggested by arrow 26. Once the liner 24 isremoved, with this embodiment, each time when the patch 14 is used torub against the bottom of the shoe sole some of the friable solid orsemi-solid layer 22 is depleted and the pad 14 can be used until thelayer 22 is completely depleted, at which time it needs to be replaced.

Referring to FIG. 3, a further embodiment of the device in accordancewith the invention is shown and designated by the reference numeral 28.The device 28 is, again, intended to be secured to the surface of agarment 16 by means of a central adhesive layer 30 or a peripheraladhesive layer 32. Secured to the adhesive layer 32 istackiness-enhancing composition containing layer or compartment 34 thatis filled with suitable tackiness enhancing material of the type underdiscussion and disclosed, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/162,026. The end remote from the adhesive layers 30, 32 may beopen or generally perforated to allow the material to flow in adirection generally away from the adhesive layer. In accordance with theembodiment shown, a semi-permeable membrane 38 controls or limitsexcessive flow of the material 36, and a removable release liner 24 maybe used with the device shown in FIG. 2. If desired, an optional pullout tab or strip 40 may be provided that can be easily removed bypulling at one end or the other as suggested by arrows 42 a or 42 b. Thedevice shown in FIG. 3, therefore, bears some similarities totrans-dermal patches that permit controlled and limited dispensing of aliquid material. After the removable release liner 24 is peeled off assuggested by the arrow 26, the semi-permeable membrane 38 can dispensefluid when rubbed against the bottom surface of the shoe sole. If theremovable release liner 24 is initially used with the device 28, thepull out tab or strip 40 may not be necessary as both of these performsubstantially the same or similar function, namely preventinginadvertent and/or excessive flow of the fluid onto the shoe solesurface against which the device 28 is swiped or rubbed.

In all of the embodiments in accordance with the present invention, theobjective is the same, namely to provide at least some physical removalof debris or contaminants by means of a mechanical or rubbing operationfollowed by the deposition of a layer, film or coating of a compositionsuitable for enhanced tackiness and, therefore, the gripping propertiesof the shoe sole. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only ofthe principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modificationsand changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

What claimed is:
 1. A device for enhancing the gripping properties ofshoe sole comprising: a patch having front and rear surfaces; attachmentmeans for attaching said patch to a surface if an item of clothing suchthat said rear surface of said patch abuts against said surface of saiditem of clothing and exposes said front surface of said patch, saidfront surface of said patch being arranged to allow wiping or rubbingsame against the bottom surface of a shoe sole; a composition withinsaid patch that can enhance tackiness in response to shear forces; andmeans for dispensing a thin film or coating of said composition on ashoe sole for enhancing the tackiness between the shoe sole and a hardplaying surface when the shoe sole is exposed to shear forces.
 2. Adevice as defined in claim 1, wherein said patch is in the form of anabsorbent pad.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein saidattachment means comprises stitching.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1,wherein said attachment means comprises adhesive.
 5. A device as definedin claim 4, wherein said adhesive is a central adhesive layer within theperiphery of said patch.
 6. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein saidadhesive is a strip of adhesive extending about said periphery of saidpatch.
 7. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a releaseliner removably attached to said front surface of said patch to protectsaid front surface prior to use.
 8. A device as defined in claim 1,wherein said patch includes a layer for containing a material that isfluid and can be selectively released through said front surface.
 9. Adevice as defined in claim 8, further comprising control means forcontrolling the degree to which said material can be dispensed throughsaid front surface when an object such as a shoe sole is brushed orwiped against said front surface.
 10. A device as defined in claim 9,wherein said control means comprises a semi-permeable membrane.
 11. Adevice as defined in claim 10, further comprising a removable pull outstrip of non-permeable material between said front surface and saidsemi-permeable membrane to prevent disposal of said fluid materialthrough said semi-permeable membrane prior to use.
 12. A device asdefined in claim 11, wherein said strip includes at least one tab thatextends beyond the periphery of said patch that can be gripped andpulled out to allow said fluid material to be dispensed through saidsemi-permeable membrane.
 13. A device as defined in claim 9, whereinsaid patch layer comprises an absorbent layer.
 14. A device as definedin claim 9, wherein said patch layer comprises a compartment forreceiving and retaining said fluid material.
 15. A device as defined inclaim 1, wherein said composition dispensed by said patch comprises: afilm former; an adhesive; a tackifier; and a solvent for separating saidfilm former, adhesive and tackifier prior to application to the shoesole surface and causing same to bond into a tacky film afterapplication and evaporation of said solvent.
 16. A device as defined inclaim 15, wherein said coating material further comprises nano-sizedparticles comprising organic emulsion polymerized cros-linked polymer.17. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein said adhesive is a pressuresensitive adhesive (PSA).
 8. A device as defined in claim 15, whereinsaid film former comprises a melting rosin having a melting pointselected to be within a temperature range of 65-125° F.